Senator Samuel Thompson

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The Legislative District 12 Republican team of Sen. Sam Thompson, Ron Dancer and Rob Clifton, who represent parts of Middlesex, Ocean, Burlington and Monmouth counties, are pleased to announce that Matawan’s Art and Education Center (AEC) has been awarded a grant by the state’s Council on Arts.

The grant of $33, 293 will be used to continue the AEC’s mission of providing quality arts education in school curriculums. It was a pioneer in recognizing the need for this type of program for gifted and talented children who attend any school, public, private or home schooled.

“The Arts and Education Center is instrumental in ensuring public school children in our region have access to a well rounded education that includes the arts,” said Thompson. “This grant will support a great organization that nurtures talent in children that might otherwise go unappreciated or un-developed.”

“Since its opening in 1982, the Arts and Education Center has become a fabric of Matawan’s culture and commerce,” said Clifton. “The grant received will not only help to operate the center, but to promote a business that provides private-sector employment and cultural enrichment. Matawan and its surrounding towns have an important historical role in New Jersey and I am pleased that effort will be continued with the help of this funding.”

“The arts are an integral part of our society,” said Dancer. “Not only do they connect people by presenting ideas everyone can relate to in some fashion, but they are instrumental in job creation as they provide a competitive advantage in attracting new businesses and a skilled workforce.”

The New Jersey State Arts Council is awarding over $15.7 million in funding to nearly 800 arts organizations and artists throughout the state. Funding decisions are determined based on merit after grant applications are submitted. There are more than 25, 000 arts-related businesses in New Jersey that employ nearly 90, 000 people.